"Hey, brother, I just crashed": Footage of the American pilot's rescue
A Marine Corps pilot ejected from an F/A-18 fighter jet moments before it crashed into a mountainside in Washington state. Body camera footage shows him walking toward police officers with his face covered in blood and dirt. He sustained only minor cuts, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Footage released on Friday documents the moment police in Washington state encountered an American fighter pilot who had ejected from his aircraft moments before it crashed into a mountainside. Body camera recordings from the Yakima County Sheriff's Office show the pilot walking toward officers, his face covered in blood and dirt, but without significant physical injury.
The crash occurred on June 13, when a US Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet struck a mountainside near Rimrock Lake during a low-altitude training exercise. The footage captures the pilot ejecting just before the aircraft hits the ground, resulting in a fireball and a massive plume of black smoke. The US military initially described the event as a "non-fatal aviation incident."
In the video, the pilot approaches local sheriff's deputies with a phone in hand, having already dialed 911. When asked what kind of plane it was, he replied:
"It's an F-18. Well, it was an F-18."
Describing the moments leading up to the crash, the pilot stated:
"We did some laps over the lake. I went in, and I'm not exactly sure. To be honest, I'm a little confused. I went through the trees."
One witness remarked, "You hit a tree hard, brother." The pilot is later seen reporting the incident, stating, "Hey, brother, I just crashed."
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.
On Wednesday, a US Army Apache helicopter crashed near Salado, Texas, killing both pilots. The helicopter, based at Fort Hood, was on a maintenance test flight. The Army has since announced a temporary grounding of all Apache training flights until the cause of the accident is determined.
